Panther Location Manager

[Tim Flynn]

A simplified answer.

In preferences -> network -> network port configuration; is a list of of ports for the "location" (typically "Automatic")
OS X searches down the list from the top. So if you have Ethernet first and say airport second, modem third, it tries to connect with ethernet first, if no luck goto airport etc.
Now if you want to use Ethernet with DHCP at work and Ethernet with static IP at home, you create a new location and a new list of network ports.

So ... if you use DHCP only then pick the order of search and OS X will sort out your connections. Like one user's experience in this list. (you might be able to to static ip this way aswell ?)

or if you want to use DHCP and static at different locations, then set them up and use the Location menu from the Apple menu.

I hope this helps.

 

[frozenstar]

I'd love to be able to create a fully customizable profile...
My first one would be "hacker mode", in which the wallpaper would turn solid black, the theme would change to Graphite, and the dock would only contain network and coding tools.

It'd be nice if they integrate profile management with .Mac, so that profiles can be pulled down from any Mac with an Internet connection.

 

[nef919]

Originally posted by uhlawboi80
ok im confused....i take my laptop to school, and it detects and logs onto the wireless network (though to get off campus i need the cisco VPN), then i bring it home and plug it into my router from my DSL and it just works, and then i take it to the coffee shop and use their wireless without problem...

i never change any settings, ever. So what you guys want seems to be unnecessary...

Same here. No problems between locations. I put the PBook to sleep and open it when needed, it pulls an address from whatever wireless network is available. As for places with static IP's I just choose it from locations. Modem access from hotel rooms with no broadband (shudder) works just as simply. Plug in modem and open safari, modem tries to dial out.

 

[Chimaera]

mabe not in terms of what location Manager WAS, but what they are adding could be fantastic

From macnews.net.tc - Currently, you define 'pointers' for a location. Printing, networking, connected servers, open applications, energy saver settings - even desktop pictures

Now then, let me go through these one at a time...

Printing - this means I can set up all the printers I use at work and have them available, but when I'm at home only the ones I have access to there are visible - saves trawling through a huge list (I currently have 32 printers installed for work alone)

Networking - ok fair enough, this is no use to me, however it is of *great* use to someone whose network settings are variable - for example someone who has DHCP-based network at work, but static based at home, or someone who uses different ISP settings based on location - for example if I used a modem to connect to the internet, in my home town I use a certain number (local number, not national, therefore free to call) but out of town that number is a *lot* more expensive to use, so would use the national-rate one available instead - this way no fuss to switch.

Connected Servers - this would be fantastically useful - I could set my laptop up so when I turn it on at work it connects to all the local servers at work I need access to, and at home it can connect to the fileservers there too - each time without waiting for it to fail to connect to a non-available service (which is the price of automatic logins if I were to use them as they stand).

Open Applications - I actualy posted a request about this a while back - my work necessitates certain applications to be on all the time, wheras my home interests use different applications, and theres very little crossover between the two - it would be very useful to me if i could specify startup items for each seperate location, and have the system switch accordingly.

Energy Save Settings - Truthfully this isn't much use to me personally, as 90% of the time I'm operating off the mains, however I can see the appeal of tying this panel in to the overall scheme of things

Desktop Picture - As with energy saver settings to be honest.

Basically as someone else said it would be *great* if location manager basically let you change more or less everything in the system preference panes with a single profile.

If this location manager turned out to be true, it would alone be a good enough reason for me to pay the upgrade fee, even if *nothing* else changed.

 

[maradong]

Re: Panther Location Manager

Originally posted by Macrumors
MacNews.net.tc claims that a revised Location Manager is a part of Panther.

certainly a newbish question:
but what is the location manager ?

 

[Vroem]

SMTP

Another useful function for a location manager is smtp server. Because if you use the smtp server from your ISP (smtp.stupidisp.com) you wil probably not be able to send mail with your mail application when connected to another ISP, unless you change the server adress every time. (Of course this problem does not apply to .mac owners ) The same applies for news (nntp) servers.

 

[Chimaera]

true, this again would be useful to a lot of people but not to anyone who handles email throught a 3rd party (.Mac or something else of that ilk)

 

[visor]

Originally posted by uhlawboi80
ok im confused....i take my laptop to school, and it detects and logs onto the wireless network (though to get off campus i need the cisco VPN), then i bring it home and plug it into my router from my DSL and it just works, and then i take it to the coffee shop and use their wireless without problem...

i never change any settings, ever. So what you guys want seems to be unnecessary...

What you do is use DHCP on your networks.
This works great unless you need to have always the same IP for some reason, have more than one airport acces, have some more restricted - alias secure airports around, etc.
You wouldn't for example be able to find my airport with your autodetect.
You would be able to find the airport where I work, but you'd have absolutly no rights on the network - efficently beeing unable to do anything than surf the net, etc.

 

[visor]

Originally posted by Chimaera
mabe not in terms of what location Manager WAS, but what they are adding could be fantastic



Now then, let me go through these one at a time...



Connected Servers - this would be fantastically useful - I could set my laptop up so when I turn it on at work it connects to all the local servers at work I need access to, and at home it can connect to the fileservers there too - each time without waiting for it to fail to connect to a non-available service (which is the price of automatic logins if I were to use them as they stand).

Really man - this is actually my most requested new feature. I truely hate it when i forget to unmount a server someplac, and the sodding Ibook simply hangs until I reboot it someplace else.
and all this mounting all the time, use, say 6 different servers ... good grief. Best OSX offers now is the favorites - now the shares mostly aren't named very differntenly.
have 'Users' at home 'users' at work 'home' on some other server... blah...
If you click something wrong, you might end up needing to reboot because the ****ing panther lazes in the sun.
Damn - I REALLY hate the server mounting implementation right now.

I say - look at w2k - it notices the server is unavailable, notifies you - thats it. System is up and usable, the app using the connection might die - but it does anyway if the conn isn't available, so why wait for a couple of days?

 

[frozenstar]

Originally posted by Chimaera
true, this again would be useful to a lot of people but not to anyone who handles email throught a 3rd party (.Mac or something else of that ilk)

Not true. Many places require that you use the local SMTP server for outbound mail. The university I work at is one of them, for example. I have to manually change the SMTP server in Mail in order to use my Mac to send email while I'm on campus. Being able to automate that through a location manager would be a welcome feature.

 

[Chimaera]

Really? that seems overly restrictive to me - most ISP SMTP servers are inaccessable when using other connections, and this applies to every uni I'm familiar with too, but I have no difficulty using third party stuff either (in my case a server in a data center with shared ownership amongst a group of friends) - so to be more accurate:

ISP email - home only

Work Email - work only (or via VPN, but lets not get into that )

Personal Email - wherever the hell I like as its not tied to any connection provider.

So basically what I'm trying to say is I've never seen a system that you *have* to use the providers SMTP server, but plenty of SMTP servers you can only use IF you are connected to their network (in fact almost all the free ones) - that make sense?